A little while back I met this awesome girl, Tammy, through a friend. She happened to be the creator of a new company, Love Myself Organics, that made an all natural deodorant. Coincidentally, my struggle with finding an aluminum free deodorant that even KIND OF worked has been long and far, as I am sure many of you have the same story. We gave up the real aluminum based antiperspirant deodorants many years ago when we went through our fertility struggles. Since then we have tried many different types and brands, and finally settled on one from Trader Joe’s that was pretty decent. Then I met Tammy. When I found out what she did, I was immediately interested in hearing more. She offered to give me a sample to try out, and potentially set up a review and giveaway for my blog if I liked it. Well, let me say that not only do I like it, but I LOVE it! I used it on my 7 day trip to Hawaii back in November where humidity usually gets the best of me. I was so excited to have it with me because it kept me dry the whole time. I have continued to use it since and it still works just as well as it did day 1. Although I am not doing my long distance running right now due to pregnancy limitations, I still work out 4 times a week in my barre class which is no easy task. I am happy to report that no one inches away from my sweaty self because not only does this deodorant keep me dry, but it smells awesome!

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I’m finally in the home stretch, the third trimester of my last pregnancy! Unfortunately with the excitement of being so close to meeting this little man, comes the downside. My nausea returns full force, I get very uncomfortable since I’m a pretty small person, and the random cravings run my life. This time, my body decided that it wanted…no NEEDED…Sukiyaki, a Japanese hot pot type dish. So random, but that pretty much defines me, just ask my husband! I searched high and low, but came up short. Every single place near me uses beef broth as a base, and since I don’t eat meat, or it’s broth, it wouldn’t work. This pregnant girl was dying and needed a solution!

So of course, out came the computer and a recipe was born. The main part of Sukiyaki that gives it it’s taste is the broth that these veggies and noodles marinate in. I researched online and came up with the main ingredients in all traditional versions: soy sauce, mirin (a sweet cooking wine), sake, and sugar. So off I went to create the perfect ratios for a hot pot meal that would satisfy my craving! To make it gluten free, I used Tamari, but you can always use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos if you want to avoid soy. I also used coconut sugar instead of regular sugar to keep it unrefined. I didn’t find any compromise of flavor with my healthier alternatives, in fact my combination turned out amazing! The kids and I couldn’t get enough. We packed it with loads of veggies, noodles and a little tofu and just stuffed our face. The greatest thing is the loads of veggies you can eat here without realizing how many you are eating. I loved the Chinese cabbage and bok choy and when I make it again I may even try some sweet potato for added flavor.

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It’s finally here my friends, a vegan version of my favorite Greek dish growing up, Pastitsio! Go ahead and drool now, because this totally vegan version is Greek mom approved! I made so many trials of this, I was determined to get it right. Not just “Yeah, it’s not bad,” but I needed my authentic Greek mom to like it and want seconds. And as soon as that happened, I was at peace and ready to share with all of you!

Traditionally this dish is made of layers of ground meat sauce, noodles and béchamel. Not exactly what I’d call healthy, it actually borders on “heart attack on a plate” status if I’m being honest. But man I loved it so much and my mom’s was hands down the best stuff ever! If you order it out at a Greek restaurant, you often find spices like cinnamon and cloves in it. I’m not going to lie, flavors like this kind of makes me gag in my savory food. I really don’t like them and neither does the rest of my family. So my mom’s Pastitsio is the only one I have ever truly loved since it was sans the gag factor. If you’ve had this dish before, feel free to add the additional spices, but it surely does not need it!

So it’s 2015, a start to a new year and perhaps for some a start to a new way of eating. New Years resolutions are largely failed by most, the biggest reason being that so many are unrealistic and therefore unattainable, especially those resolutions that focus on diet. I wholeheartedly believe that any change you make in life needs to be achieved through baby steps, small goals that you can meet and feel good about. Well, these jars can easily be step one to your plan of clean eating!

Overnight oats not only give you an opportunity to start your day with a healthy whole food based meal, but these jars make them easy to prep and set you up for a quick meal the next morning. Everyone can have their own jar and choose what flavor they want, no more fights and no more made to order breakfasts! My toddlers even like to help me get theirs ready, which makes them excited to eat the next day. Breakfast is so fast and easy, with minimal work by me and happy kids. Win win! And there are only two things to wash, the jar and spoon! For more information and to order, click the link below to my official store front page.

Thanks so much for your support, and please share with all your friends and family! I’d love to get these out to as many people as I can and help bring healthy happy eating to all! One small step to healthy eating habits and whole new you!

Another year comes to a close and I just can’t believe how fast time is flying. Last new year, I had just started this blog and was so new to it all. I have learned so much over the past year, have had the time of my life, and feel so blessed and lucky to be in this community of food bloggers. I have started some wonderful friendships, that I know will only grow better and stronger, and was even able to meet some of those friends in person this holiday season. I honestly could not be more thankful for life right now.

I have so much I want to do, learn and grow in this coming year and am so excited to see what 2015 brings! I created a lot in 2014, but I have also changed in many ways in how I cook and bake. I look forward to seeing how much more I learn and grow this next year. Here are the top 12 all time follower favorites from 2014 based on traffic to each recipe!

I love Christmas. It is hands down my favorite holiday of the year, with the lights, smells, cooking, family, parties…it’s so festive, feel good and fun! I love cooking for others and giving gifts, so this holiday was meant for me. We host Christmas day dinner every year and this year, for the first time, we are hosting a meat free dinner!

It’s our third Christmas with this diet of ours, the first one we were barely a few months in, so we decided it is time to make the full transition and get everyone used to this new tradition of seeing the holiday as a time to spend with loved ones with delicious healthy food being an added bonus. Last year, we allowed people to bring their own meat dish but requested everything be ready to serve so nothing was prepared at our house, but this year it’s going to be a veggie filled, but definitely glutenous, holiday feast and I am SO excited! I would say all in all our plans were met with positive happy people, although we did get a little resistance. But here’s the thing, it’s our house and we want to feel comfortable and happy, so meat free it is! We are in no way offended or judge others when we go out and visit homes where meat is served, but we just prefer to keep things within our zone of food when here at our home. But one thing I can promise is that no one will leave hungry or unsatisfied. Some of these recipes you saw on my Thanksgiving post, but we were away for that holiday, so I’m making them for Christmas because they are that delicious and I can’t miss out! So here it goes, the official Veggies Don’t Bite Christmas Recipes roundup:

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Yes, you read that right. Chocolate and peppermint all in one glass. It’s amazing. Just look at it?! The deep dark flavor of chocolate combined with sweet spicy peppermint gets me every time. And the colors just go fabulously, so I was left with no choice but to make them live in harmony right inside my mason jar.

Truth be told, I was planning on posting all about my fabulous, well almost fabulous, main dish I am serving this year for Christmas dinner. But it’s just not blog ready yet. I need one more trial, Christmas, before it will be perfect and I don’t want to share the amazingness of it unless it’s just right. So lucky for all of you, this little treat that I’ve been playing around with for some time made it’s way in instead. And I definitely don’t regret it! My kids told me I was amazing when I surprised them with this as a pre dinner snack, so in the end, even if everyone else thinks this is crazy, my boys don’t and that’s my goal! They couldn’t keep their hands off!

It’s the “Season of Sharing: Virtual Vegan Party with the FindingVegan.com Bloggers” and it’s amazing! Just look at all the recipes here. I dare you to say you don’t know what to make this holiday season…This is literally my favorite time of year, not only because I love to cook and bake, but because it brings everyone together to create amazing magic like this. I feel so blessed to be where I am right now and can’t even explain how happy I am to be on this blogging path. I love what I do and I love sharing it with all of you! So head on down and check out all these awesome recipes from amazing bloggers, I’m number 19! Happy cooking!!

Vegan Link Round-up!
There are some amazing vegan recipes, books, features and more out there on the internet, but it can be challenging to track down great content sometimes! That is where FindingVegan.com comes in. FV features recipes and more from the best vegan-friendly bloggers on the web! And this year, we FV asked some of its contributors to share their best content in a MEGA-amazing vegan round-up! Check out all that is going on in the vegan community!..

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When I think of the holidays, this stuffing is top of my list. I didn’t grow up eating bread based stuffing, in fact I don’t even really like traditional bread stuffing, all I knew was that my mom’s stuffing was one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. So it’s pretty fitting that I get this recipe veganized and on the blog! It didn’t take much, just a few swaps and vegan it became. The incredible taste is still there, and the health factor just went up a notch!

Traditionally this was put into a turkey. However, my mom often made it as a side dish as well since we weren’t always the ones making turkey for the holidays. I love this dish and once we went meat free, it was turkey stuffed no more! I can’t even explain how flavorful and unique the taste is. I love that we only make it during the holiday season because it keeps me wanting more all year long! It’s a fairly easy side dish to put together, and you can definitely do some prep the day before to make it even easier. If you’re looking for a unique dish for your Christmas dinner, or any holiday you may celebrate, then this is your dish! Give it a try and let me know what you think!

As always, I love comments on the blog if you make it, so make sure to let me know! You can also tag me on Instagram at veggiesdontbite #veggiesdontbite so I don’t miss it! Hope you enjoy!

I am so excited to finally be able to share this new product of mine with all of you! I have been working on this since I started my blog. It has been a long process and one in which I have learned a lot. So what is it that I have created you ask?

The Veggies Don’t Bite Overnight Oats Jar

*patent pending*

It’s a quick, easy and convenient way to prep overnight oats without having to wash any other supplies! I have created a jar with pre-measured lines and sections, into which you add several types of ingredients. It moves away from the traditional “follow a recipe” mode of cooking and more into the “create as you go” mode. Each section can be filled with ingredients of your choice for that specific part, there is no need to measure how much of each, just continue to fill until you reach the designated line. Mix and match flavors and ingredients to get a different meal each time!

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BLOG TRANSFER IN PROGRESS!

Hi there amazing followers!!! I am in the process of transferring my blog to a self hosted site. Although this shouldn't affect you or my blog, please be patient if something happens to go wrong! I'm working as fast and hard as I can to make the transfer complete! Love to you all and thank you for being here!!

The jars are currently sold out but more are coming in the next few weeks. You can preorder using the link below and you will be notified when your jar is shipped. Expect between 2-3 weeks.
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About me

Sophia DeSantis is the author of Veggies Don’t Bite, a vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free food blog targeted to all types of eaters. She is the mom of two beautiful boys and wife to an amazing husband. Sophia and her family live a vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free life 90% of the time because she believes that you don’t have to be perfect to make healthy choices. Through her website, she hopes to reach anybody interested in making a positive health change in their life.

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